Tunisian elections: the view from the street

Marwa Akkari and Amal Fattoum

Students, 22

Marwa Akkari (left) and Amal Fattoum

Marwa (left) says: "We want good for our country: God willing, democracy. We will probably vote for Al-Nahda because we want something Islamic and they're the only ones so we are obliged to vote for them. We don't want to live with secularism anymore. Under Ben Ali it was catastrophic for us. The important thing for us is to be able to live freely, to wear the veil. We hope Al-Nahda will do that. But we do have worries about whether they will be as they say they will be."

Kamel Bahri

Retired, 58

Kamel Bahri

"I am 58 and this is my first experience of democracy. I have never voted before; I never used to get a voting card. This time I will definitely vote but I haven't yet decided for whom. There are two or three parties I'm considering. Maybe - what's his name? - [the PDP's Ahmed Najib] Chebbi. Or the guy who used to be foreign minister [Kamel Morjan of Al-Watan]. He was under Ben Ali but he's a nice guy; he was at the UN. The main thing I care about is employment. I have two sons. One is an engineer; he qualified in Russia and, now he's back, he can't get a job. For us the best candidate will be the one who puts the country to work."

Hamdi Chebaam

Student, 21

"I don't know if I'll vote because I have no idea which political party to choose. None of them interest me. They all say the same things and I don't believe them. One said that bread would be sold for 1100 millimes. Now it is 2,400. The most important thing is jobs; it's my aim to get one and I really hope I will. I guess if I do vote it'll probably be for Al-Nahda because they have a history since Bourgiba of wanting to do something for Tunisia. Obviously, though, I don't want any political party to make me do anything."

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